'He Shot My Arm Off!': Elderly Shop Owner Sends 4 Robbery Suspects Fleeing to the Hospital After Pulling Out His Shotgun
On 2:45 a.m. Sunday, four men, one of them armed with a rifle, attempted to rob a California convenience store.
It is unlikely the four men thought the 80-year-old man behind the counter in the Riverside County business would cause much trouble. For that assumption, those men paid dearly.
Footage of the attempted robbery shows the 80-year-old, Craig Cope, the store’s owner, pulling out a shotgun. He then shot one of the suspects in the arm, sending the rest of them fleeing to their car.
In the footage, the man shot by Cope can be heard screaming as he retreats.
“He shot my arm off. He shot my arm off,” the man said.
Three of the four suspects are now in jail, KCBS-TV reported. The fourth is at the hospital recovering from his injuries.
#WATCH: “He shot my arm off,” cries would-be robber after 80 year old #Norco store owner shoots him with a shotgun. Four arrested, one remains in hospital. Store owner expected back at work. pic.twitter.com/i3LAVdv5WL
— Jeff Vaughn (@JeffVaughn) August 2, 2022
Speaking with KCBS-TV, one of Cope’s employees expressed adoration and respect for her employer.
“It’s not his first rodeo,” one employee, Marnie, said. “He saw on the surveillance, he saw them coming out of the vehicle with weapons.”
“I’m proud to call him my boss,” she said. “He makes us feel better about being here, you know.”
According to KCBS-TV, Cope “suffered a heart attack as a result of the traumatic series of events.”
That being said, the 80-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
Many prominent conservatives shared the video on Twitter, along with some added commentary.
The robber is now unarmed
— Kangmin Lee ✞ (@kangminjlee) August 2, 2022
“The robber is now unarmed,” Christian content creator Kangmin Lee wrote in jest.
Feel good story of the day. https://t.co/QnOE8dbclk
— Kira (@RealKiraDavis) August 2, 2022
“Feel good story of the day,” wrote Kira Davis, the Deputy Managing Editor of Redstate.
No tears for the morons. https://t.co/HFMeXIPkbo
— Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) August 2, 2022
“No tears for the morons,” Washington Examiner opinion writer Kimberly Ross tweeted.
— Kathy Barnette?&? (@Kathy4Truth) August 2, 2022
Kathy Barnette, the national spokesman for 1776 Action, tweeted the video out as well, adding merely a punching emoji.
CORRECTION, Aug. 7, 2022: This post originally misstated the location of the incident. It was in Riverside County, California, an interior county southeast of Los Angeles. It was not in Los Angeles.
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